Welcome to the world....

.....Alexander Patrick.....born May 30, at 3:08pm....weighing 7 lbs, 12 oz and measuring 21" long....a completely healthy baby boy! Good job Kelly and Scott!!!!!!!! :)

This is the birth which inspired my painting "Birth Journey".

Tommorrow, June 1, I'll be headed down to south Florida to personally welcome my nephew into the world. I'll post photos as soon as I can!

Jai

Birth Journey, the finished painting

And here it is...."Birth Journey", the finished painting.....the perfect choice in imagery for any pregnant woman.

As I said in my previous post about this painting, I've created this piece especially for Kelly, who is going to give birth to my nephew Alex on Tuesday, May 30 (if not before!).

Through this illustration, I've attempted to depict a journey of birth. Every image in the painting is representative of something or someone. Of course the woman on the sphere is the mother-to-be. The imagery in the sky is representative of the baby and the mother's feelings of developing love for her child.

The lion has been implemented into the painting to show strength - during this time of life, a mother-to-be needs a source of strength to pull her through the journey. The lion represents the person who is the biggest source of strength for the mother.

The mother-to-be is in deep contemplation here as she realizes she is about to bring this miracle into the world.

The three tiny tree frogs are representative of supporters in the mother's life as she makes her journey.

And the parrots throughout the painting are representative of parents of the child's mother and father - grandparents, or other special people in the mother's life...onlookers, if you will, watching over this journey of birth with the experience of having been there themselves and imparting their own wisdom, best wishes, and prayers to the mother-to-be and her new baby.

To order prints, notecards, etc. of "Birth Journey" for a special mother-to-be in your own life, please visit this page.

Jai

How it all begins.....

Here's a sneak peak at the beginning of my next painting titled "Birth Journey". This painting is one I'm doing especially for Kelly, the mother of my nephew who will be arriving in this world any day now!

I have one week to complete the painting, mat and frame it, so I can take it to her when I leave to make the long journey from TN to FL next week.

I thought some of you might be interested in seeing how a painting begins....my drawing is done completely on the computer using a Wacom Tablet. (Click on the image to see a larger view.) Once I have the basics of the sketch complete, I then print it as a much larger size, and then transfer it to my watercolor paper. Once I start to add color, the painting begins to come to life.

Wish me luck on this one - there's a lot going on in this piece, from the pregnant mother riding the ball through the water, to the lion offering her strength by pulling her, to the tree frogs riding on the back of the ball, to the parrots in the palm trees, to the faded in imagery of the angel holding the baby's head in the sky....so I have a lot to accomplish with this scene!

Jai

Sea Play, surreal tropical art

Finally! I completed "Sea Play" yesterday. Just got the photos uploaded this morning. Go here to see a closer view and to order prints - the original of this piece is also for sale.

I'm working on my second surreal/fantasy design now - just at the beginning stages so far of getting the sketch done - well actually, deciding on the composition of the design first, and then the sketch will begin. I find this kind of work very challenging as far as layout.

Jai

What a week!

It's been one of "those" weeks. I haven't had one in a long time. I can definitely say this....weeks like this with strife and turmoil is exactly why I like to lose myself in painting. Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad.....and I just don't like to deal with people and their coldness, negativity, cruelness, etc. So I bury myself in painting to escape. And when I'm finished, I actually have something of beauty to offer the world. It's certainly a lot better than taking all the crap in and dishing it back out to others. Why compound the problems? Plus the rule of Karma is basically "what you give out comes back". I don't want to dish out ugly stuff and have it come back to me later. No thanks!

This week I've been working on a surreal piece of art titled "Sea Play". I'm almost done with it, but it's taking a long time because it's a large piece - 18" x 24" right now. Covering that much space using watercolor pencil is a long and tedious task, especially to get the richness of color I like in my work. The bolder, the brighter, the richer the colors, the more pleased I am with the work. I love the light and airy look watercolor can create, but for me, I prefer to paint a very vibrant piece - very deep in color - layer upon layer upon layer.

This week I also took a bold step and am offering some of my $10 mini prints on Ebay for only 99 cents. I thought it would be a good way to introduce people to my work. Go here to check out the listings if you would like.

I've got an extremely busy weekend with "other stuff". I'm about ready to take a sabbatical for a month and do nothing but paint. These days, if I get too busy with "things", I tend to get very stressed. And stress does me and everyone else around me NO GOOD! So it might be time to just disappear for a while into my work and stop all the "busy-ness" of life.

Jai

Canvas art prints

I have finished the transformation at Coloresque.Com - three sizes of fine art, signed/numbered, limited edition (100) gallery wrapped canvas prints are now available on site. AND I have also managed to finish the design for the "This Ole Truck" note cards - already sold my first set, too! Woo hoo! Note cards can also be purchased via Coloresque.Com. It's been a busy mother's day for me!

Jai

This Ole Truck, Rusty Dodge Truck Painting

Wow.....what a time I had with this piece! When I was at the gallery last week, a fellow artist, Roy Elmer, told me "rust isn't as easy as people think". Boy! Was he right! This painting took about 10-12 hours a day this week - 7 days! I'm really happy with how it turned out. The original, which is matted and framed, will be on display at Gary Mathews Auto Mall in Jackson, TN for a while. (in the Dodge department, of course!)

On my site, I am offering the limited edition signed/numbered prints, the open edition signed miniature prints, and by tomorrow, I'll have the note card set up which will feature this image.

Lots of changes are in the works here. Since the jewelry I've listed at Coloresque.Com hasn't really "worked", I've decided to change the focus of the site. I'll still have a category for the jewelry which is currently up there, but the site is now going to focus on limited edition, signed/numbered, gallery wrapped canvas prints of my work. I'm working on making those changes now. "Coloresque" means "infused with color", which I feel my work certainly is!

Also, I feel I've been holding back on my creations, and will be returning to my surreal art pieces, such as "Evolution", only much more involved and deeper. I will, of course, still do realistic pieces and custom orders, but my main focus will be on surreal art with an erotic/sensual feel.

Anyway, back to work here on the Coloresque site and the note card design....I'll make another post when those are ready to view!

Jai

"Smiling Iris" painting

Just finished this new painting I've titled "Smiling Iris", featuring a beautiful bouquet with a purple iris in the center. (it looks blue on the screen, but it's more purple in person!).

With this piece I was refining a grisaille technique I've been using on my work. I made the gray undertones a bit darker, therefore it gives the work more depth in my opinion. I'm getting ready to start on a cockatiel painting using the same adjustments to my technique - keep your fingers crossed for me!

The original painting, which is a 5x7 piece, is on Ebay this week - click here to bid.

For signed and numbered limited edition prints:



Artist Signed, Limited Edition (100) Museum Quality Print, Size 15"x22"
• Ultra-premium, moisture resistant watercolor paper
• Textured, with a matte finish
• Imprinted with UV-resistant archival inks (100+ years of fade resistance when displayed indoors and protected from direct sunlight) to create vibrant, long-lasting art
• Signed by the artist and numbered (i.e. "1/100", "2/100", etc)
• $90.00 (includes shipping)

Artist Signed, Open Edition, Museum Quality Print, Size 5.5"x 8.5"
•Acid & lignin free 140 lb premium watercolor paper
•Printed with DuraBrite Ulta Inks, offering up to 100 years of fade resistance & light fastness.
•Waterproof
•5.5" x 8.5" in size, suitable for mounting in any mat with a 5" x 7" opening (actual opening size of 4.5" x 6.5"). Actual print size is 4.5" x 6.5" to fit nicely in the mat opening.
•Signed using waterproof, lightfast professional black ink
•Your print featuring the original watercolor pencil artwork of Jai Johnson will be cherished for years to come!
• $10.00 (includes shipping)

Unsigned, open edition fine art prints (plain or framed and matted), greeting cards, and stamps featuring this artwork can be ordered here via my publisher.

Jai

My art is on TV! (Six in the City EplusTV Jackson TN)

How COOL is this....today Rachel Dickson, gallery owner of The Dickson Gallery of Fine Art where my art is hanging, took my tiger painting "Patience" to a TV interview she had with Stever Bowers of EplusTV (Channel 6) in Jackson, TN. So my art is on television! WOO HOO! Thanks Rachel!!!!!!

Jai

Cockatiel Cocktail is in the mix!

This morning I've been working on my first design for my Cockatiel series of art. My first bird note card set is a compilation of several different breeds, mostly portrait style of art. For the cockatiel series, I've decided to do something a bit more entertaining and cute - the birds are more "in action"...doing something of some sort. The first painting I'll be doing is a cockatiel sitting on the edge of a martini glass, which will be filled with red liquid and complimentary fruit. I've been working on the initial sketch for the design this morning and I think this will turn out very cute!

I'm not sure how many 'tiels I'll do in the series....Birds of a Feather Collection I has 5 birds, making 10 note cards (2 of each design). I'll either do 5 Cockatiel designs and the same size note card set, or I'll do 2 designs, 5 of each in the set, or 3-4 designs and perhaps make a set of 12. I'll decide after I see how difficult this first painting is! I'm thinking it will be more attractive to have 5 designs and make a pack of 10 as I did with the other set. This set will be called "Cockatiel Cocktail", meaning it will contain a "cocktail" of cockatiel art.

The Dodge truck painting is coming along very well too! I'll be working on more of it after I get back from my early morning grocery store adventure.

Later,
Jai

What's happening in the studio this weekend....

Currently I'm working on a commission piece of art featuring an old Dodge truck. It's going to be a large painting - about 16 x 22 when complete. Despite the fact it's torn up and rusted really bad, I can already tell from making my initial line drawing this piece is going to be a real challenge! I think the rust color will be fun to paint...rust isn't just "reddish brown", you know. It actually is very colorful and the rust I'll be painting has green, yellow, pink, purple and blue all in with the normal "rust" color. So I'm looking forward to getting to the color stage. The line drawing is complete and now I'm doing shading with a gray watercolor pencil.

This piece of art will be titled "This Ole Truck" and I'll probably write a story or poem to go along with it, based on some things the buyer has told me. The original art will be on display at a local Dodge dealership, with a special promotional event being held at some point. It will also be available as prints and a note card set.

I spent the morning looking through over 12,000 reference photos of Cockatiels for another bird series I'm doing. So I already feel exhausted, as it took approximately 7 hours of time just sitting and looking at the photos. PHEW!

The mockingbird from the nest outside my studio window has gotten her babies out of her nest, and I just spent a few minutes outside checking out one of the babies. They are so cute when they are little like that! We also have baby bluebirds in the neighborhood. They have been hatched in my neighbor's bluebird box and Mom and Dad have been really active lately around here, so I've gotten to enjoy their lovely bright blue coloring. :)

My friend Paula is taking on the biggest loser weight loss challenge...she wrote me this morning and she has lost 7 pounds her first week! YOU GO GIRL! From my adventure in weight loss last year (and a couple times before that!) I know exactly how challenging it is. I know Paula can do it - and she wants to win that grand prize, so that will definitely help to motivate! :)

Well back to the studio I guess....I hear the old truck calling my name!

Jai

"Window Seat" my original cat painting (click here!)

As I said in my earlier post, I am continuing on with my "Fabulous Felines" series of cat art, in which I portray a variety of domestic cats from around the world. This original painting is titled "Window Seat" and call me crazy, but I have just placed this $400 painting on Ebay for an opening bid of ONLY $49! Click here to place your bid - it's a 5 day auction only! ( I have a bill to pay....ya gotta do what ya gotta do! And I know those Ebayers like original cat art!)

The painting is also available as limited edition, signed/numbered prints, as well as open edition signed miniature prints on my website.

Jai

Technorati tags: cat, cat art, cats, cat painting, orange, tabby, window seat, feline

The perfect gift for Mother's Day...

Give your mom a serene place to go via this signed miniature open edition print:


Artist Signed, Open Edition, Museum Quality Print, Size 5.5"x 8.5"
•Acid & lignin free 140 lb premium watercolor paper
•Printed with DuraBrite Ulta Inks, offering up to 100 years of fade resistance & light fastness.
•Waterproof
•5.5" x 8.5" in size, suitable for mounting in any mat with a 5" x 7" opening (actual opening size of 4.5" x 6.5"). Actual print size is 4.5" x 6.5" to fit nicely in the mat opening.
•Signed using waterproof, lightfast professional black ink
•Your print featuring the original watercolor pencil artwork of Jai Johnson will be cherished for years to come!
• $10.00 (includes shipping)

Yes, it's exciting! I have finally worked out the details to create signed miniature prints! Most of the original art on this page is now available as a signed miniature print like the one above. These look AWESOME in 5 x 7 standard mats - each looks so much like the original watercolor painting, it's unreal! What a great gift idea to give Mom the one above or another print from the collection. And don't forget the Birds of a Feather Note Cards - those are getting quite popular too!

Today I'm working on one of my Fabulous Feline paintings. Not sure if I'll get it complete or not today - it's in progress though!

Jai

Serenity Falls, landscape painting (click here to see!)

And here it is....."Serenity Falls", a waterfall landscape painting I just completed. I'm tickled with the way this painting turned out! And I know this is sure a place I'd love to be spending my time! When we used to live in Hendersonville, I would ride my bike down to the end of our neighborhood where I could go on a path through the woods, to a clearing which overlooked a big lake. I spent a lot of time there by the water as I wrote poetry, short stories, and even a novel! I miss the water, but I still get to see a lot of streams and waterfalls in the places I visit throughout the year. I'd give anything to have this scene in my backyard though! :)

Go here to see the larger photo, read more, and order prints or even purchase the original art!

Jai

Wow....I've just surprised myself!

I've just painted a landscape. And that's a surprise? Yep. I don't paint landscapes - or I didn't much before today except in miniature on my jewelry. And I've surprised myself - I can do it!

I figured since landscapes are so popular, I'd better pick a type I like and add them to my portfolio. So I picked waterfalls and streams...but I'll do anything with water. I *love* being near water - it's soothing to me. And since I've been around a lot of waterfalls and streams, as well as lakes, I decided to focus on landscape work which involves water.

The painting is almost complete.....I have 3 small spots I feel I need to touch up, and then it has to dry completely before I can photograph it. At this point, I'm very pleased with the outcome!

My next piece will be a cat. Remember the "100 Fabulous Felines" series I was working on in polymer clay? I did 4 pieces in polymer (miniature paintings). Click here to see them. Anyway, I decided to continue on with this series, but on paper instead of polymer. I don't know if I will actually do 100 of them....so I am just going to make them a part of the "Fabulous Felines" series.

I was going to take my tiger portrait to the gallery today, but didn't make it - maybe tomorrow. Speaking of the tiger in my previous post, I wondered if anyone noticed the pattern which appears in the background? And if you see the same thing I do? (and no, I didn't plan it...the pattern wasn't visible to me until AFTER I photographed the piece). Just curious as to if I am the only one who sees it. :)

Well, back to the studio to finish this waterfall landscape. I might call it "Fantasy Falls" or something along that line - it's very colorful and beautiful!

Jai